OPK is out, new Canadian executive takes over as President and CEO of Nokia

There were recently rumors that a search was on for someone to replace OPK as President and CEO of Nokia and it turns out that was actually what was going on as Mr. Stephen Elop will be taking over on 21 September 2010. This transition is happening just after Nokia World and so it seems this event may be quite interesting. Elop currently heads Microsoft’s Business Division and has extensive senior position experience from other companies like Macromedia and Adobe Systems Inc.

OPK is leaving Nokia after serving for thirty years and has been a great leader for the company, but now is the time for a change that should hopefully get Nokia back on track to more profitability to go along with their large market share numbers. He looks to be getting a nice severance package, which is standard for these types of positions. I wonder if we will here from Mr. Elop or OPK at Nokia World next week.

25 Comments to OPK is out, new Canadian executive takes over as President and CEO of Nokia

Stoli89September 10, 2010

OPK is a strong executive with solid strategic skills, but the company has been in the midst of a transformation that will require different CEO skill-sets going forward. It cannot be just a handset maker but a company seen as managing an ecosystem, from software to hardware to services. It must also adeptly compete as the lines between smart-phones, PC’s, gaming, and entertainment systems blurs. OPK was never the greatest communicator, either…which is a bit ironic for a company focused on connecting people. If Steve Jobs could sell sand to a Bedouin, OPK would have a tough time selling a firehouse to a fella locked inside a burning house. Microsoft and Nokia have worked together, so Mr. Elop must have been in the board’s sights for some time. They’ll still need an evangelist to promote the products, and though Vanjoki has the charisma and presence to deliver, he is still part of the “old guard”. I think the market will look on this favorably. Given Nokia World is next week, I think the market will finally appreciate the magnitude of this Nokia transformation. OPK deserves credit in steering this iconic company through a most difficult time. IMHO.

I sat and really thought why nokia is suffering to the average consumer, nokias phones are not attractive, but to nokia loyalist and fans, the design is very often what you wanted in a phone. They come in all shapes, new strategies have to be formed like possibly the adoption of other OSs. I still love symbian and would like to see maemo take off, but the engineers need to be better. the n series is very much the phone of the year to me, it has everything. but conumers like good touchscreen as-well as fast processors and and the promise of robust app catalog and services. Google is pioneer for they began to offer services for free, the premium map navigation. Appele app store invited talented developers and achieved many good things. Nokia has done ell into packing feature into small effeiceint units. But it has to grow and adapt and make shining examples.
Their first order is to showcase the n8 with flash commercials and show advantage is voice nav and usb on the go. These to alone will net more popularity with fan base, next is to make it adaptable to newer softares, dual boot with maemo this is just with symbian.
Next is to possibly adpat a small portion of assets in google. I mean their is Google app for symbian, so symbian should see ways how to take advantage of that.
I guess thats all their is, congrats to ne ceo, the severance of opk is fat, split it wit ya boy…lol.good luck nokia, nano tech please

s_blanksteinSeptember 12, 2010

We have witnessed Nortel and Ericsson going down, and I do not expect a miracle to happen at Nokia.
In the 21st century all big corporations – and telecoms in particular – are facing two major challenges: (1) changes in the horizontal market are extremely dynamic, so old “processes”, “org.charts”, “paradigms” just do not work, and (2) competition in the vertical market is brutal, so trying to own the complete product chain will not be cost-efficient ever again.
What we observe is that Nokia is doing exactly the opposite: (1) they are hiring (and for a very pretty markka!) a typical North-American career manager, and continue acquiring companies instead of creating an environment where the brightest would compete for the right to contribute to Nokia products, while the corporation retains control only over the check book.
Coincidentally(?), Stephen Elop was approached by Nokia as soon as he became ready to make his next career move – right after the end of his 2-year “quarantine” with Microsoft, failing to endure which he would have to return millions spent by Microsoft for his relocation. What is the rule at Nokia? Keep a copy of this post for reference.

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